LMAO!  Yes you are, and so is Lily. BUT, in my honest opinion one is only as young as their spirit allows them to be.

 

Yay... per FS I am still 'young'.

Lol, my son and DH will be with me. I've already reserved the hotel just a.... 2-5 minute walk from the start, everyone did so well last November when I PR'd my sub 2 hour half that I am confident nobody will give me any trouble. My DH is extremely supportive.

It is strange though, thinking about it now... most of my races I've always been nervous and anxious, especially at the St. Louis race because it was my first out of town experience and it was on a Sunday, we got there Friday evening. But the Indy half (and full) are on a Saturday, we got there Friday evening, crazy chaos trying to find our hotel (apparently there are 5 of these hotels right in downtown Indy). But I decided I wasn't going to fret, I wasn't going to freak out race morning and I wasn't going to worry about getting under 2 hours. I woke up at 4:30, tried to eat a cliff bar (didn't happen) but drank lots of water and some coffee, laid back down for an hour and got up, got ready and then got everyone else up. I stopped at the first potty in the first mile due to drinking WAY too much water, but after that it was smooth sailing and I ended up blasting my PR goal.

Sure, a hip and a knee was hurting around mile 11 but I gave it all I had and I was extremely pleased with myself and the race ( # 1 reason why I picked the Indy for my first full marathon). Granted, I fell in the elevator due to lack of food but I am so happy with that race.

I am going to remind myself of this as I get closer and closer to race day, remind myself to relax and just enjoy the experience. I have no time goal, I just want to finish well and not broken down and dead. The only thing I know without a doubt is that I will most likely pass out afterwards and be starving to death, but I've got a lot of time to work on my nutrition and stuff.

 

Race day morning:

 

• Wake your ass up 3 to 4 hours before the event so that your body can do what it needs to do.
• Eat at least 90 minutes before the race (I actually eat as soon as I get up).
• Arrange to have your kids stay somewhere else the night before (and your honey too if they are of the nagging or non-supportive type).
• If you do not drink coffee race day morning is not the day to decide to try it!
• Drive the route to the event beforehand if possible (race day morning is not the time to be following directions).
• Get there an hour before the event (better to be there and square than to be frantically stuck in traffic with a bunch of other frantic folks!

I speak about race day morning because it is magical, and if that is your focus it provides clarity during training or uncertain times.

 

So throughout the weeks of training, while standing in the starting corral and every mile of the race believe in yourself, your decision to run it and your training.

 

It is likely going to be a rough experience, but if you have doubts or seconds thoughts that roughness will be compounded by a factor of 50!

 

Well, I was speaking for myself and not Freesoul on the "middle age"...I'm 47!  Which I'm sad to say fits most definitions of middle age. Including Freesoul's.

47? Sorry... I mistook you for another poster. lol... You look so darn young! You look 29!

Oh but you're only as old as you feel  

 

Race day morning:

 

• Wake your ass up 3 to 4 hours before the event so that your body can do what it needs to do.
• Eat at least 90 minutes before the race (I actually eat as soon as I get up).
• Arrange to have your kids stay somewhere else the night before (and your honey too if they are of the nagging or non-supportive type).
• If you do not drink coffee race day morning is not the day to decide to try it!
• Drive the route to the event beforehand if possible (race day morning is not the time to be following directions).
• Get there an hour before the event (better to be there and square than to be frantically stuck in traffic with a bunch of other frantic folks!

I speak about race day morning because it is magical, and if that is your focus it provides clarity during training or uncertain times.

 

So throughout the weeks of training, while standing in the starting corral and every mile of the race believe in yourself, your decision to run it and your training.

 

It is likely going to be a rough experience, but if you have doubts or seconds thoughts that roughness will be compounded by a factor of 50!

I do not do any of those I marked.  I am only there an hour before the event when the events have 20000 or more runners.  Otherwise, I try to get there as close to the start as I can.  I also race on an empty stomach.  I wake up 20 minutes before I have to leave the house/hotel.

lol...

Damaris, I can do any of my training runs without food and on an empty stomach but I've got to have at least one Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin with a little bit of Peanut Butter and Honey, and coffee a hour or 2 before a race longer than 15k. Everybody is different though.

Put 1 foot forward and repeat for 42.195 km.

 

Race day morning:

 

• Wake your ass up 3 to 4 hours before the event so that your body can do what it needs to do.
• Eat at least 90 minutes before the race (I actually eat as soon as I get up).
• Arrange to have your kids stay somewhere else the night before (and your honey too if they are of the nagging or non-supportive type).
• If you do not drink coffee race day morning is not the day to decide to try it!
• Drive the route to the event beforehand if possible (race day morning is not the time to be following directions).
• Get there an hour before the event (better to be there and square than to be frantically stuck in traffic with a bunch of other frantic folks!

I speak about race day morning because it is magical, and if that is your focus it provides clarity during training or uncertain times.

 

So throughout the weeks of training, while standing in the starting corral and every mile of the race believe in yourself, your decision to run it and your training.

 

It is likely going to be a rough experience, but if you have doubts or seconds thoughts that roughness will be compounded by a factor of 50!

And do it again!!!

 And do it again!!!

Then twice more!  lol